A sufficient Island

Rating: 7/10 (8 August 2005)

In some respects, The Island is something of a departure for director Michael Bay from the usual. Oh, there is no doubt that this film comes from the same individual who gave us The Rock and Armageddon; it's full of the same high-octane, fast-paced action, but it also shows that Bay can indulge the more intellectual side of the medium, although apparently only to a point.
The Island is a thriller that is part sci-fi, part action film, and it uses the ethics and practice of cloning as it's basis. This isn't a new idea, there have been several other films that have addressed cloning before, at it also isn't a new concept to meld action with cloning, that was already done in The 6th Day. But the package as assembled is reasonably entertaining and holds your attention for it's running time.
The film focuses on a character named Lincoln Echo Six (Ewan McGregor), who lives in a massive multistory facility with many other individuals. They are all led to believe they are survivors of a great environmental holocaust that has rendered the world incapable of supporting life. The only remaining "pathogen-free" zone is called The Island, and the survivors are given a random opportunity to be sent to the Island through a regular lottery. The inhabitants of this contained world are monitored for health and nutrition and given various menial tasks to accomplish. Lincoln has developed a friendship with another member of the society, named Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johannson), who wins the lottery to go to the island. After discovering an insect in the service areas of the plant, Lincoln explores further and discovers that their existence is actually a fraud. There is no Island, Lincoln and the others are clones of rich, powerful individuals in the outside world. There is no contamination, and the clones exist to provide replacement organs and other items to the clients who ordered them and can afford the hefty price tag. With the desire to save his own existence and that of his best friend, Lincoln escapes from the facility, with Jordan in tow, and meets up with a technician he had befriended at the facility (Steve Buscemi) who sets them in direction of their "sponsors" to try and reveal the truth to the world. Meanwhile, the facility owner, Dr. Merrick (Sean Bean), desperate to ensure the truth is not revealed to the world, hires a freelance hit team to bring back his "products," led by a man named Albert (Djimon Hounsou).
The basic quandary that the Island focuses on, the ethics of cloning, is an interesting one to explore, and The Island does raise some questions concerning the moral dilemmas of the possibility of using clones as a source of "spare parts" for humans, but much like 1990's Total Recall, aside from introducing the issue, it doesn't quite take the material to a higher ground. We don't see the repercussions that might evolve out of the populous discovering that the rich and powerful have paid for living humans to be created and then eventually slaughtered so that the originals can go on living. After introducing the premise the film swings into full on action mode, featuring several chases, shoot-outs and fight sequences. The action sequences are well staged, and more than a little engaging, so from the point-of-view of serving as an entertaining action vehicle, The Island does it's job well, but those looking for a little more meat to the moral quandaries introduced will walk away feeling short-changed.
As with all of Bay's films, The Island has a very slick look, with gorgeous production design by Nigel Phelps and very atmospheric cinematography by Mauro Fiore. The film also features Michael Bay's trademark: fast-paced, breakneck-speed editing. I enjoy a good action sequence as much as the next man, but do all of his have to edited as if by a spastic child? Bay does keep it a little more on the ground than some of his previous turns; it's not quite as overdone as, say, Armageddon, but it is still a bit much for my taste.
On the acting front, most of the performers are capable, turning in effective performances, but no one is pushing their limit. Ewan McGregor has some fun scenes playing both Lincoln and his "sponsor" opposite each other, differentiated by the accents in their voice, but its nothing that hasn't been seen in some form before. Sean Bean does his best snarling as the villain, but he keeps it from going over the top.
The Island is that sort of middle-ground movie that is featured most every summer: intriguing idea not fully fleshed out, blended with heavy action to fulfill what is believed to be what the audience wants. It is effective at what it does, you just wish it did a little more.